Recommend a MTB under £1000

[LHVRS]

Hi Guys,

 

As the title says, can anyone recommend me a decent trail bike under £1000.

 

I use to do a lot of biking about 10 years ago on my old claudbutler but things seems to have moved on since then and I'm not sure wear to start. 

 

Thanks 

[mattsv]

Boardman Bikes are probably one of the best value in terms of spec and always get good reviews. I have a Boardman full sus and have had no issues at all. 

 

clicky

[RampantBadger]

If you want good spec then go for a Hardtail, you will get much better components at that price point than a full suspension. Have a look at a Bird Zero, Vitus Sentier, Ragley Marley, Whyte 901 (if you can find one with a bit knocked off), Norco Torrent. There are probably a few more good bikes too but these are very highly regarded. Consider Plus sized bikes too, the extra tyre depth gives you a bit more cushioning over a standard sized tyre.

 

You will struggle to find a 'really good' full suspension bike at under £1000, however there are some good options out there. The one that really springs to mind is the Calibre Bossnut. Its sold by Go Outdoors and is £999 with the discount card. MBR Magazine gave it 10/10 and everyone I know who has tried one says its a riot, if you're not bothered by brands and are handy with the spanners to check its been built properly then its well worth a look.

 

If you want a really good bike then 2nd hand would be the best bet, you could get a 1 year old barely ridden bike for a bargain price if you hunt around (my winter hardtail, a Whyte 629, cost me £500 from a colleague, he'd ridden it twice and paid over £1k for it 12 months before...)

 

 

[LHVRS]

Thanks RB, I plan to buy it through work so have to stick to new but it will be handled by myself and not through a third party so can buy from any shop as long as I get an invoice.

 

Calibre Bossnut is on sale at £899 but I'd prefer to go for a hardtail like you said, if it means getting a better bike. 

 

After looking at things again my budget is 1k but I need to get as much kit included. 

 

If you could list the top ten things you always have on you on a ride out, what would they be?

[edwards]

Not sure where in the world you are but give Paul at 2pedalz a ring. He did me an amazing deal on my road bike and hes a nice guy to deal with.

 

http://www.2pedalz.com/

[RampantBadger]

10 hours ago, LHVRS said:

Thanks RB, I plan to buy it through work so have to stick to new but it will be handled by myself and not through a third party so can buy from any shop as long as I get an invoice.

 

Calibre Bossnut is on sale at £899 but I'd prefer to go for a hardtail like you said, if it means getting a better bike. 

 

After looking at things again my budget is 1k but I need to get as much kit included. 

 

If you could list the top ten things you always have on you on a ride out, what would they be?

 No worries, bike to work is an excellent way of funding a new toy!

 

After a bit more checking the Bird has crept over the £1k mark now so it's just out of budget which is a shame as its a cracking bike, the Vitus Sentier VRS seems to be out of stock everywhere, the Ragley however is in stock and £850 which gives you some wiggle room for kit (the colours are pretty lairy though). Ragley Marley

 

As for the top 10 things, er let me see:

1. Helmet - a decent lid is an absolute must when mountain biking, look for one that fits well and has plenty of ventilation. 'Enduro' style lids (ones which drop down low at the back of your head to give a little more protection) are very popular at the moment. I use a Bell Super 2R (the 3R has just been released so the 2R is on sale in a lot of places at the moment, they have a removable chin guard which makes it handy for downhilling days).

2. Trail pack - some people will say they prefer to ride unencumbered using a water bottle and some spares in pockets / strapped to their bike, I find having a pack with a hydration bladder and somewhere to put your spares / tools / snacks / waterproof to be very handy. Don't think you need a huge pack, a small one with just enough space for a couple of bits and pieces is more than good enough. For most of my rides I use an Army surplus camelback, like this This there is more than enough room for a few spares and some snacks for a couple of hours riding.

3. Padded Shorts - again some ride without but I find them to be essential, I like the Endura Hummvee shorts, they are baggy shorts with a click in padded lycra liner (just don't wear pants under them).

4. Gloves - personal preference, I always wear full finger gloves on the mountain bike as I've crashed without gloves on and its not fun.

5. Tools - I'm not talking taking a Halfords professional kit with you, but a small multitool with a chain splitter on it and a small pump will get you out of most problems you may encounter.

6. Spares - A spare quick chain link, a gear cable, an inner tube  and a few cable ties. Most trailside issues can be fixed with those. Chain lube to stash in the car

To be honest those are what I would consider the only real 'essentials', everything else is nice to have.

7. Cycle Jersey - you can ride in a t shirt but a jersey will wick the sweat away, will be cut in the right shape and they normally have pockets for stashing bits and pieces.

8. Cycling Glasses - there is nothing worse than getting mud in your eye when thumping down a nice descent.

9. Cleaning Gear - Muc Off, Degreaser, Brushes etc. to keep your steed nice and shiny between rides.

10. Waterproof - let's be honest, we are in the UK, it will rain on you at some point and having a half decent waterproof will turn those rides from a slog into a more enjoyable experience.

 

I do wear a pair of knee pads and occasionally elbow pads but these are firmly in the nice to have bracket and definitely not essential...

Edited 19 April, 2017 by RampantBadger

[Ally_bassman]

Boardman pro 29er: http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/mountain-bikes/boardman-mountain-bike-pro-29er

 

I've had the previous model for 2 years now and put a couple of thousand miles on it. It's my go to bike now, the 6" full-susser dosen't get a look in now lol!

[Tilt]

What kind of riding do you intend???

 

You say trail bike, but do you intend any hard-core riding (I suspect not if you haven't ridden for years) or just family style riding?

 

Are you a big lad and naturally well insulated or a slim lad that feels the cold easily???

 

Most useful recommendations would come from someone similar to yourself with similar intended riding............

[edwards]

Missed the kit bit:

 

Helmet - as a roadie I like my Giro, but the boy has a Bell trail helmet that is nice too.

 

Pump - small one for bike like a pocket rocket. A good track pump like a Topeak JoeBlow for home is a nice to have.

 

Multi-tool with chainsplitter - Topeak one is nice.

 

Tyre levers, spare tube, Scabs patches, cable ties, quicklink, couple of pairs of disposable gloves to keep the oily muck off your hands.

 

Some form of hydration - bottles or pack.

 

Proper padded shorts. I do the whole lycra thing on the road but for trail/family riding I've a pair of Endura Humvee 3/4 pants that are good. I am 6'1" though, if shorter the normal length ones might be better. 

 

Decent jersey/cycle top, or some kind of wicking t-shirt.

 

Good shades/glasses. As a myopic spectacle wearer I have some flash prescription react-to-light ones but all you really need is to keep the muck and wind out of your eyes.

 

Waterproof - Altura night vision is nice.

 

 

 

 

[LHVRS]

 

 

 

Cheers Edwards and Bassman 

 

Boardman looks pretty sweet. 

 

Thanks RB, great list to get me thinking, the Ragley looks like a good bit of kit but not sure I can get on with that colour, have you heard of the sonder transmitter? 

 

6 hours ago, Tilt said:

What kind of riding do you intend???

 

You say trail bike, but do you intend any hard-core riding (I suspect not if you haven't ridden for years) or just family style riding?

 

Are you a big lad and naturally well insulated or a slim lad that feels the cold easily???

 

Most useful recommendations would come from someone similar to yourself with similar intended riding............

I plan so start of slow and work my way up so thinking ahead with the odd day out with the family. The route to work is a mixture of tarmac (2 miles), grass/mud and rooty/rocky stuff (3 miles)

 

I'm 6'2 16st but hope to drop some weight riding to work and out most nights with the dogs, so yeah I warm up quick  

[Wagon]

I'm 6ft 5 and currently ride a 2016 Cannondale trail 2 29er ,rrp was £995 and I managed to get £100 off at Evans... you feel like you can ride over anything on a 29er, so much easier to do miles on , plus a bitsa I built 10 yrs ago , Merlin frame and a ton of spendy bits on it which is much better in the twistys

[RampantBadger]

9 hours ago, LHVRS said:

Thanks RB, great list to get me thinking, the Ragley looks like a good bit of kit but not sure I can get on with that colour, have you heard of the sonder transmitter? 

 

It is an acquired taste!  there was a more subdued colour scheme but it seems to have sold out everywhere, I wonder why...

 

I've heard of Sonder bikes, but I wasn't familiar with the Transmitter. It looks like a really nice bit of kit! Thoroughly modern geometry too, long, low and a slack head angle will make it very stable when it gets steep, a relatively steep seat tube will mean it will pedal back up to the top well and the plus size tyres will give massive grip in the corners. A proper 'all mountain' bike. I'm not sure I would want to do too much tarmac work on plus tyres though, plus sized tyres are run at quite low pressures (sub 20 psi) so they deform over trail obstacles and find huge grip in loads of places, it can make them quite heavy and draggy on tarmac though. However, all 650+ bikes are compatible with 29" wheels too (the outside diameter of a 650b wheel clad with a 3" wide + tyre is almost identical to a 29er wheel with a 2.3" tyre). A cheap set of 29er wheels clad with lightly knobbled tyres would be ideal for commuting then you could swap to the plus wheels for weekend trail riding. Or you could ride it for a while then tell your wife you need another bike for commuting N+1  (N+1 is the formula for the correct number of bikes to own, where N is the current number of bikes you own).

[LHVRS]

Hahahaha, I'll remember to use that formula but not sure my wife will buy it, shes already complained that I bought a new car last year so why do I need a new bike for commuting 

 

 

[Rooted]

After having borrowed one to try i have just bought a Plus size tyre bike to use for some rides rather than my Specialized Fat Boy SE (4.6 tyres & 2x10 gears),

or my GT Full Sus bike (27.5 & 2x10 gears).

 

So a Specialized Fuse Comp Fattie6  which has 650b x 3" tyres & 10 speed & a dropper post.

Available in L & XL  (6ft 2" size, but also comes in XXL so 23" Frame, this might suit someone @ 6ft 5" quite well.

(like this one in the pictures from google images.)  They are available on offer @ £800 rather than the RRP of £1,200.

 

 

Edited 19 May, 2017 by Awayoffski

[Tilt]

That is a small front ring innit??? Looks like it's designed for riding over sand / on the beach, Lol.

 

Looks pretty decent though.........Whats the forks???

[Rooted]

On that bike Suntour Raidon but those are all i need for trails.  

The £1,500 RRP model on sale now for £1,000 comes with Manitou Forks.

http://tredz.com 

http://tredz.com/mens-specialized-mountain-bikes 

 

The front single ring is to suit the spread of 10 at the rear and the chain angle.

 The gears were all there that i needed for what i can climb and as good as my 2x10's.

(for some markets it is 11 gears, same front ring.)

 

Edited 21 April, 2017 by Awayoffski

[Bud]

Lots of bargains still about as older models are reduced from 1200/1300 or sometimes more to below a grand.  Do some random searches, don't be afraid to buy from Euro dealers, as clearing old stock will provide a bargain and after a few weeks you don't care that it might be lasts years or older.

 

Definitely worth blagging test rides, in the environment you wish to ride not just round the car park, and trying a few makes and styles so you know that you will be happy.  Nothing worse than splashing out and then not getting on with it.

 

BTW there's nothing wrong with an old bike, I have a Cannondale SM700 mostly original kit that I've had for 27 yrs, it still rides well but different geometry and handling to modern bikes. The n+1 does apply though

[LHVRS]

On 20/04/2017 at 21:49, Awayoffski said:

After having borrowed one to try i have just bought a Plus size tyre bike to use for some rides rather than my Specialized Fat Boy SE (4.6 tyres & 2x10 gears),

or my GT Full Sus bike (27.5 & 2x10 gears).

 

So a Specialized Fuse Comp Fattie6  which has 650b x 3" tyres & 10 speed & a dropper post.

Available in L & XL  (6ft 2" size, but also comes in XXL so 23" Frame, this might suit someone @ 6ft 5" quite well.

(like this one in the pictures from google images.)  They are available on offer @ £800 rather than the RRP of £1,200.

 

 

7 hours ago, Bud said:

Lots of bargains still about as older models are reduced from 1200/1300 or sometimes more to below a grand.  Do some random searches, don't be afraid to buy from Euro dealers, as clearing old stock will provide a bargain and after a few weeks you don't care that it might be lasts years or older.

 

Definitely worth blagging test rides, in the environment you wish to ride not just round the car park, and trying a few makes and styles so you know that you will be happy.  Nothing worse than splashing out and then not getting on with it.

 

BTW there's nothing wrong with an old bike, I have a Cannondale SM700 mostly original kit that I've had for 27 yrs, it still rides well but different geometry and handling to modern bikes. The n+1 does apply though

I think this may be the one, just got to find a place I can try it out for size

[Aspman]

SPD clipless pedals and shoes might be worth considering too.

[LHVRS]

Anyone used decathlon MTB? Popped down there today to pick up some bits so had a look, the 900+960 model looks decent.

[Rooted]

Liking my new bike, handling and brakes for easy riding trails, tracks some tar and a bit of tighter / trickier stuff.

Only issue is the highest gear which is too low really even for me with an artificial leg. Spinning out at about 12 mph.

 

Edited 20 May, 2017 by Awayoffski

[Tilt]

On ‎30‎/‎04‎/‎2017 at 09:57, Awayoffski said:

 

Only issue is the highest gear which is too low really even for me with an artificial leg. Spinning out at about 12 mph.

 

 

On ‎21‎/‎04‎/‎2017 at 11:12, Tilt said:

That is a small front ring innit??? Looks like it's designed for riding over sand / on the beach, Lol.

 

Looks like you need to find a beach..............Lol.

 

Should be easy enough to change the ring and chain, one would hope.

[Rooted]

Its fine for what i am using it for, but not going to suit someone fitter then me i would expect.

(The Fat bike i have is for the coastal routes and golf course paths. Not riding across the American Presidents greens obviously.)

I cant walk on beaches let alone cycle on them.

Rebound knob on the Suntour Raidon forks on the Fattie6 already broken so just as well set as i need it...

Edited 1 May, 2017 by Awayoffski

[kit]

Bought a Whyte 901 16-17 season model 6 months ago with the internal cabling and 650b wheels and its fab, great XC and downhill, great long distance and I can pack it with all my gear and go bike packing. Think I paid just over 1100 euro and got it on the bike to work scheme.

[Rooted]

LHVRS, have you got your self a new bike yet?

 

I am loving my Fuse 6Fattie, ridden over 1,000 miles now on it since i got it. (Using Route Tracker on my mobile, and GPS bike Computer)

Proved to be the best trail bike i have had in over 20 years since i had a custom made expedition touring bike fully racked up that i used for 5 years then it was nicked, it was about 2 grand back in 1990's.

Enough plushness from the simple front suspension and semi fat tyres to make it comfy on hands, arms and bum and easy to descend & climb on longer forest tracks and fire roads and the dropper seat post just makes getting comfortable so easy on longer rides while changing terrain.

Edited 19 May, 2017 by Awayoffski